The MoFo Top 100 Neo-noir Countdown

Again... seen both, LOVE both, but only one made my list.

The Conversation is really good with great direction from Coppola, and an excellent performance from Gene Hackman. Here's what I wrote about him back in the day:

Still, for some reason, I either didn't think of it or chose to leave it out. Glad to see it make the list, though.

As for The Man Who Wasn't There, it is a masterpiece of style and mood, like only the Coens could deliver; and still, how amazing it is that it barely squeaks into my Coens Top 10? That's how amazing they are. Billy Bob Thornton is great as the lead, the cinematography is gorgeous, love the twists and turns. It is a perfect encapsulation of the noir/neo-noir flavor. I had it at #7.



SEEN: 49/74
MY BALLOT: 14/25

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Seen both. Interesting that The Conversation is considered noir.

The Conversation was #18 on the MoFo Top 100 of the 1970s. The Man Who Wasn't There was #84 on the MoFo Top 100 of the 2000s.

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

I've seen The Conversation years ago and barely remember it, but I remember enjoying it. A rewatch is overdue. I haven't seen The Man Who Wasn't There.

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IMDb
Letterboxd

List facts!

• This is the last tie of the countdown. For most of the countdown, entries have been fairly close from one another with the biggest point gap being 10 (between Collateral and Heat). But from now on, titles will be getting more and more separated from each other.
• This is also the Coen brothers' second entry in the countdown, after The Big Lebowski at #38. I've already asked if you think they will have more, so if you think they will, which one do you think will come next?

I would still think both Blood Simple and Miller's Crossing are coming, probably Fargo as well. Wouldn't be shocked if No Country for Old Men was in there too, the way the list has gone, though it is the least Noirish of the six.

The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) was #2 on my ballot. My review:



Such stunning film work! Visually the use of shadows and high key lighting, silhouettes and Dutch angles, wide overhead shots and deep focus...are all here and done to a level of sublime. This film should be used to train new directors in the art of lighting.

Billy Bob Thorton was one of the coolest-odd characters to ever grace a film noir. Damn he made this movie with his deliberately stoic acting and his taunt face of stone...Then there's his remorseful, yet downtrodden voice over narrative. The narrative itself, is a thing of beauty, both in the way the lines are delivered and by the pulp philosophy that rings truer then most films would ever aspire to say.

This is a slow paced film with long scene length, smooth and even editing between the scene transactions. The Coen brothers even have the genius to let the screen go black for a few seconds, in between major acts.


I thought this would be a 5/5 and be added to my top 10. But true to Coen's style they go a little over the top with the UFO lady and the ending goes a little loose and broad. Still I can't complain as that's what the Coen's are known for, and I guess that's what you call an auteur's stamp.

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WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... THE CONVERSATION


Roger Ebert said:

Koraljka Suton, from Cinephilia & Beyond, said:

@Gideon58 said:

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF... THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE


Roger Ebert said:

Supreme Being, from Stand by For Mind Control, said:

@Citizen Rules said:

I don't think we have Far to Go before we see another Coen brothers movie in the list.

Both of today's movies are ones I've been meaning to see, but haven't gotten around to yet.

2 for 2. I can see why The Conversation was included. It's Coppola's magnum opus but a neo-noir? I never considered it for my ballot. I guess I shouldn't have thrown together the list at the last minute. That's on me. Oh well.

Watched The Man Who Wasn't There so many years ago that I don't remember much about it. I remember the scene with the teenage girl in the car but had no idea it was Scarlett Johansson. I obviously didn't give it the attention it deserved and need to watch it again.

Neither of these were on my ballot.

50 of 74 seen so far

Seen and liked both, but neither made my ballot.

Seen: 61/74

The Conversation is one of my favorite movies and would have thus been near the top of the list if it passed my obviously faulty "neo-noir" test. Oh well. I'm glad it's this high anyway.

Next time I make a ballot for one of these countdowns, I'm hiring a genre sommelier so that they can smell, touch and taste the DVD, VHS tape or Blu-Ray to detect if it passes the genre test. That way, my ballot will be much more accurate.

Man Who Wasn’t There was my 22.

Didn’t consider The Conversation. I really like it though. Time to see it again actually.

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Letterboxd

I've been wanting to see The Conversation again and would need to in order to offer any opinion on it.

I have not seen The Man Who Wasn't There.

#27. The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) got 16 pts from me taking my #10.

Stylish filming, interesting original story. What a cast! I'm close to say, this is the highest level of Coen brothers (probably a tie with Fargo). I've not seen it more than a couple of times and now I feel, I want to rewatch it again.

90/100

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My Ballot
▽
1. Angel Heart (1987) [#31]
...
4. The Driver (1978) [#79]
5.
6. Red Rock West (1993) [#88]
7. The Hot Spot (1990) [#85]
8. Shallow Grave (1994) [#95]
9.
10. The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) [#27]
...
14. Purple Noon (1960) [#94]
15.
16. Thelma & Louise (1991) [#56]
...
19. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) [#36]
20.
21. Mona Lisa (1986) [#78]
22.
23.
24. Pulp Fiction (1994) [#37]
25.
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Others in my radar:
▽
The Ninth Gate (1999) [one-pointers]
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) [#96]
True Romance (1993) [#60]
Thief (1981) [#29]

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"Population don't imitate art, population imitate bad television." W.A.
"You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." M.T.

The Conversation was on my list. I did waver on whether it was noir enough but it seemed to pop up on lists of neo-noir films (and in the first line on Wikipedia ). After agonizing over how noir my list was I probably decided if there's anyone in it with a hat or a trench coat it would probably do. Besides, it's a very good, well-crafted, tense, (probably) neo noir movie about loneliness, guilt, paranoia and the difficulty of understanding other people.

The Conversation is fantastic, but it never crossed my mind when compiling my list. Had it, I doubt I would have considered it noirish enough. The Man Who Wasn't There, a sort of Camus meets noir story of a man who's just a barber and doesn't say much, was my #13. I love seeing it so high on the countdown. As for what else is coming from the Coens, I'd say Blood Simple, Miller's Crossing, and Fargo are all going to make it.

My List:
5. True Romance (#60)
11. The Friends of Eddie Coyle (#100)
12. Branded to Kill (#71)
13. The Man Who Wasn't There (#27)
14. Blast of Silence (#48)
18. Following (#84)
21. Mother (#67)
22. Purple Noon (#94)

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